Rain
by Lynn Harp
Summary: Edward Elric sat looking out the open window, out into the night. The book he had been reading was now laying open on the floor beside him. Sweat dripped from his bangs, as the summer night heat washed over him. Chapter Three: Added!
1. Prologue

Title: Rain  
Author Notes: NONE  
Disclaimer: Don't own anything, so you can't sue.

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Chapter Summary: Edward Elric sat looking out the open window, out into the night. The book he had been reading was now laying open on the floor...

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Prologue

Edward Elric sat looking out the open window, out into the night. The book he had been reading was now laying open on the floor beside him. Sweat dripped from his bangs, as the summer night heat washed over him.

What had started out as a way to pass time quickly turned into a moment of thought. A reminiscing of the past, present, and future. Memories of good times and bad flooded into his senses.

A clap of thunder resounded in the distance. Even with the heat a summer storm was fast approaching. Edward knew it would be a bad storm. He could feel it in the way his automail was causing aches to rise in his thigh and shoulder.

"Misery loves company," he stated.

Misery of past failures rose in the back of his throat. Failures that would haunt Ed for the rest of his life. Failures that had cost the life of his best friend and his family.

"Please forgive me..." Tears slowly gathered in the corner of his eyes.

If only he had acted sooner, none of it would have happened. If only he had been quicker, his world wouldn't have changed. If only he had listened. If only... If only.

"Al," he spoke into the night. "Al, Winry, please forgive me."

With a boom of thunder, the clouds opened, and rained down onto the earth. Ed tilted his face upwards, letting the droplets splash his face. The water poured down his cheeks, hiding the salty tears that fell.

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	2. Chapter One

Title: Rain

Author Notes: Okay after some good hard pokes, I have gotten off my lazy butt, and dug through boxes of notebooks to find the next chapter of this story. Alas my search returned no results, but here is a bit of a teaser. (Chapter is now finished!)

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, so you can't sue.

Chapter Summary: Several pairs of eyes turned his way, as he entered. Looking up from mountains of papers, Ed was met with sad eyes. Eyes that held sorrow, and something more. Pity for him maybe.

Chapter One

Puddles of water decorated the early morning sidewalks. The rain had died off sometime during the late night leaving the morning in a sweltering heat. Edward Elric paid no attention to the aftermath of the storm, as he himself stormed down the street his boots slapping against the wet sidewalk. He was on his way to the office, on his day off. His mood fit perfectly with the morning, sizzling and boiling.

Out of all the things Ed hated, mornings could be found high up on that list. Even higher up on that list could be found his biggest loathing. Colonel Roy Mustang, the one person in Ed's life that he could not stand. The one person he could not escape. The one person who had called him on his day off, asking him, no, demanding him to come in immediately.

Just the thought of the Colonel fueled Ed's anger. With this on his mind he quickened his pace in hopes of getting it over with. Whatever, "it" might be.

Ed reached the office in record time, but paused in the hallway. Taking a deep breath, and pushing a stray hair behind his ear Ed decided he was ready to face Mustang. With a twist of the metal doorknob and a quick thrust, Ed stomped into the room.

Several pairs of eyes turned his way, as he entered. Looking up from mountains of papers, Ed was met with sad eyes. Eyes that held sorrow, and something more. Pity for him maybe.

Shaking himself from the onslaught of emotions, that was threatening to break through, Ed growled between his teeth. "Where's Mustang?"

--

First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye was startled from her work, when she suddenly found the main door being slammed open, and an angry blond come stomping into the room. The sight of Edward pulled at her heart. Knowing the pain he had been put through in the last few months, and knowing he would never admit that he was still hurting broke her emotions raw.

Quickly she reprimanded herself, and pushed all emotions to the back of her mind. It wouldn't do to have others seeing her vulnerable.

"Hawkeye," Came Edwards voice, cutting through her thoughts. "Is Mustang Expecting me."

Anyone listening, and everyone was, could hear the hatred in Edwards words. It dripped from the words in thick long strings, and splashed to the floor loudly, echoing in all four corners of the room.

"Yes," Hawkeye responded coolly, as she stood to acknowledge him. "Major Elric, Colonel Mustang stated that you are to meet him in front of Central Library."

The whole room would be blood red, if they could have looked through Ed's eyes at that exact moment. Red was what he saw. Red was what everyone would be seeing once Ed got his hands on one Colonel Roy Mustang.

"Stated did he," Edward spat. "Sounds more like a damn goose chase to me!"

Riza almost gasped by the tone Edward used, and almost reprimanded him, but Ed spoke once again.

"Alright," he said. "I'll play his game."

With that Edward exited in a flurry, his red coat billowing behind him. The sound of the door slamming was his only goodbye to the room.

--

Authors Note: This is a partial chapter as you can see. I am working hard on getting it wrote. I thought I would give everyone a teaser, and let them know that I haven't abandoned my story. The story is still stuck tight in my mind, and pushing hard to get out. I will update this soon with the full chapter so be on the lookout!

**Okay, I am now finished with this chapter. It ended up being much shorter then I first envisioned, but it is finished. I gladly accept any constructive criticism or if you seen any errors. Thanks everybody for reading!**


	3. Chapter Two

Title: Rain

Author Notes: I am really getting back into the writing mood. Ya for me!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, so you can't sue.

Chapter Summary: A few feet away lay hundreds of pieces of metal. Mangled and shredded metal.

Chapter Two

Central Library was not far from Central Headquarters, but still Ed loathed the walk. Firstly, it meant more time to become enraged even more at Mustang. Something he just didn't feel up to. Anyone who knew Edward, and would have heard him not feel up to a verbal sparring with the Colonel would no that something wasn't quite right.

Edward however would never show this weakness. He couldn't afford to show just how much the events from several months back had affected him. Nor could he let on just how much he had changed inside.

--

Roy Mustang stood quite still in front of the enormous doors to the library. Waiting patiently for Edward Elric to show up. It hadn't been his idea to meet at the library, well, not at first.

Roy had noticed how withdrawn Edward was becoming, despite his best efforts to hide it. Everyone had been noticing. Knowing that it was Edwards's rare day off, Roy had decided to try to bait him into a confrontation. He had planned to do so at the office, but wait better way to provoke the teenager, then to send him off on a little chase.

Roy just hoped it would work. Maybe, just maybe, he could finally get Edward to talk about the events that had transpired just a few short months ago…

--

"_Ed! Winry! Please wait up," Alphonse Elric called out as he chased his older brother and childhood friend down a well-worn dirt path._

"_Hurry up Al," Ed called out, laughter thick in his voice._

"_Yes," Winry called. "Hurry you don't want to miss it do you!"_

"_Of course not," Al called back, laughing. "But you two are going to fast."_

"_No we're not," Ed answered. "You're just slow."_

_Winry laughed aloud, then replied. "Yes, and you Edward are short!"_

"_What! I am not short! I am not so short that I can't outrun a huge suit of armor!" Edward had stopped running as he ranted._

"_Yes you are brother," Al shouted._

_It was then that Ed turned and found Winry and Al ahead of him laughing. "Hey! Wait for me!"_

"_Now who is slow brother," Al asked._

_Moments later found the trio atop a hill. All three had lain down in the grass staring up into the heavens._

_The reason for this reunion of childhood friends was due to a mandatory check up of Edwards's automail. His metal arm and leg had been giving him some trouble, and the Rockbell's was the perfect place. After receiving a two week pass from Colonel Mustang, the two brothers made their way to their hometown._

"_It is so beautiful," Al said in a whisper._

"_It's so remarkable," Winry added in a hushed tone._

"_What do you think brother?"_

"_I think it feels free," Edward answered, in a contemplative tone. A tone rarely heard from Edward Elric._

_The thing that the three were speaking of was a string of falling stars. Thousands of tiny lights flew across the sky. It was an occurrence that happened twice a year. An occurrence, that Ed and Al felt lucky to be able to witness._

"_Me too brother."_

"_I hope it doesn't rain until we get back home," Winry said, as she pointed out to a group of dark clouds that had formed in the distance._

"_We will," Ed answered. It was then he heard a noise. "What was that?"_

"_What Ed," Al asked. "Did you hear something?"_

_Ed stood up, and looked around the hill. "I guess it was nothing," Ed answered._

_Turning around to look one last time, Ed was suddenly met face to face with a masked man. "What the," Ed shouted, as he jumped back._

"_Brother!"_

"_Ed!"_

_Al and Winry had jumped up at Ed's shout, and turned to face the masked man as well._

"_Who are you," Ed questioned, as he prepared himself for a fight._

"_I am you," the man said cryptically. "That is all you need to know." It was then the man launched himself at Ed._

"_Al," Edward shouted, as he narrowly jumped out of the way. "Get Winry out of here! Now!"_

"_Let's got Winry," Al said, as he swiftly, but gently lifted her and took off running down the hill._

"_They won't get away," the man shouted._

"_Yes they will!" Ed threw himself at the man aiming for the gut._

_The man in the mask easily sidestepped Ed's attack, and turned to land his own hit on Ed. He didn't miss, hitting Ed right in the jaw. Stumbling backwards, stunned, Ed gave a growl._

"_That's it," Ed spat. "Time for you to go down!" Ed clapped his hands and instantly transmuted his arm into a sword. "Aahhh," Ed screamed as he launched himself once again at the man._

_Ed heard a clap, and say a flash of light, moments to late. Everything went dark, and Ed fell to the ground._

_--_

_Ed woke up slowly, his whole body screaming in pain. It took several minutes for the events from just moments ago to come back to him. Winry and Al! Ed pulled himself up, trying to breath through the pain. It was then that he noticed his arm had been transmuted back to its rightful automail arm. Ed couldn't remember doing that._

_Shaking himself he began calling for his brother. "Al! Al! Where are you." Thunder boomed in the near distance. "Come on guys! Al! Winry! Answer me damnit!"_

_Ed started looking around, and noticed something off in the distance. From where he stood it looked like a small lump. An unmoving small lump. An unmoving small lump with blonde hair. Winry!_

"_Winry," Ed whispered, before his feet took control, and he ran to his friend._

_Thunder boomed even louder, and a flash of lightening streaked across the sky. Ed ran even faster. Ed, finally reaching Winry, fell to his knees with a cry._

"_Winry," Ed shouted, as he lifted her into his arms. "Winry," he said softer. "Come on Winry wake up. Please." Ed looked down in the face of his best friend. Blood was caked into her hair and smeared across her cheek. Ed lifted his hand and felt for a pulse. "No," Ed cried in anguish. "Winry you can't be gone! This can't be happening!" Ed hugged her lifeless body close._

"_Al," Edward continued shouting for his brother. "Come on Al, answer me!" Still holding Winry, Ed looked around as another flash of lightening lit up the area. "No," Ed felt his heart skip a beat._

_A few feet away lay hundreds of pieces of metal. Mangled and shredded metal._

_Gently Ed lay Winry back down, and walked over to the scattered metal. "No," Ed repeated. Ed dropped onto his knees once again letting the sharp metal dig into his flesh leg. "This isn't real!" Ed screamed. "This isn't real!"_

_There was one last boom of thunder before the heavens opened and torrents of rain fell to the ground._

_--_

_A week after Ed had been scheduled to return to Central; Roy took a train to Risembool. It was in his mind to go and drag Fullmetal back, and punish him for not coming back when he was supposed to._

_Roy did not count on finding Ed beside two freshly dug graves._

--

"Colonel," a sharp voice broke into Roy's thoughts.

"Ah, Fullmetal. How nice of you to make an appearance."

--

Author's Note: Phew! That went fairly well. Please review if you have time!


	4. Chapter Three

Title: Rain

Author Notes: I am still alive. I went on vacation a few weeks ago, and between packing and then unpacking, I have been a bit busy. Never fear though, because I am here.

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, so you can't sue. Unless you want a slow computer, a notebook of paper, and about 100 pens.

Chapter Summary: In the distance the sound of thunder echoed. It seems another storm was headed their way.

Chapter Three

--

_Last Time…_

"_Colonel," a sharp voice broke into Roy's thoughts._

"_Ah, Fullmetal. How nice of you to make an appearance."_

--

"You Bastard," Ed spat out, his tone low and dangerous.

"Fullmetal," Roy began sternly. "That is no way to address your commanding officer. Any officer in fact. You should show respect."

Ed made a low growling noise in his throat. Ed's mind screamed at him to lash out. To lash out in anger. To lash out in pain. Instead of striking out though, Ed reined in his anger and pain. He instead opted for a very patronizing salute. One that included a very vulgar hand gesture.

"Happy now," Ed asked before adding, "Colonel Bastard."

The look that Ed gave Roy was on the outside one of his trademark, "I don't give a damn." looks. Roy however could see one thing missing from the look. It was his eyes. They didn't contain that vibrant energy they once held. Now it was looking into an empty tomb. It was as if Ed no longer existed on the inside. Something that Roy hoped wasn't true.

"Fullmetal," Roy began rather cautiously. "I first want to start off by apologizing. It was not my…"

"Ha," Ed spat, cutting Roy off. "Since when have you ever apologized for anything…"

--

_A week. A week was how long Edward, or more commonly known, the Fullmetal Alchemist was late in returning to his post at Central. This is the reason why Colonel Roy Mustang now stepped off the train. He was here in Edward's hometown to find the reason for his absence._

_Stepping off the train, Roy gently laid a hand on his stomach. Train rides were something that he did not enjoy, and neither did his stomach._

"_Would you like to try some fish," A middle aged woman asked Roy, as she held a plate of steaming salmon right under his nose._

_The odor from the fish caused Roy to quickly cover his mouth, and make a hasty retreat to the nearest public restroom._

_--_

_After emptying the contents of his stomach, Roy started for the home of the Rockbells. The place where he was sure to find Ed._

"_He is probably goofing off with his brother and that girl," Roy mumbled to himself. He had never been more wrong in his life._

_It was a short walk from the train station to the Rockbells residence. Which Roy was thankful for, as it appeared it would rain at any moment. When he caught sight of the house, Roy took a moment to straighten out his dress shirt and pants. He had decided on a more casual look for this trip instead of his normal uniform. Gearing himself up for a fight with Edward, Roy took a deep breathe then calmly knocked on the door._

_The girl's grandmother answered the door. "Yes," She said in a hoarse voice. "What do you want."_

_Taken back by the woman's boldness, it took Roy a moment to answer. "I am looking for Edward Elric." He spoke in his best commanding voice. "He is long over due back at Central, and I as his commanding officer have come to take him back."_

_It was when he spoke Edward's name, that he noticed the change in the woman's features. They softened and her eyes took a look of pain and sadness._

"_Just down the road," She spoke her voice cracking. "Just follow the path." With that, she shut the door in Roy's face leaving no room for a thank you from Roy._

_Sighing Roy turned towards the road that she had told him to take. He then glanced up at the sky. Now it looked even more like rain. "Just like Edward," Roy grunted. "Having me chase him all over the country side."_

_Following the path was easier said then done. "Should have worn boots," Roy grumbled to himself, as he once more stumbled over a root that had grown into the path. After what seemed like hours Roy finally came to the end of the road._

_Here he found a small clearing surrounded by trees. In the clearing Roy could make out what appeared to be several headstones signify that this was a graveyard. In this place of death Roy found something alive. It was a blond boy sitting on the ground._

_Roy was almost to afraid to move, to approach the boy. It was fear of what he would find that made Roy hesitate before moving forward._

"_Edward," Roy's voice broke through the silence, and echoed eerily off the headstones._

_Ed didn't turn or give Roy any acknowledgement. He continued to stare in front of him. Moving closer Roy could see what Edward was staring at._

_Two headstones. Freshly dug dirt. Two names._

"_Edward," Roy choked out._

"_It's over," Ed's broken voice whispered, startling Roy._

_Roy stared down at the graves of Winry Rockbell and Alphonse Elric._

"_I am so sorry," Roy spoke, as he gently placed his hand on Ed's trembling shoulder._

--

"As I was saying," Roy continued, ignoring Ed's outburst. "It was not my intention to call you here on your day off, but there are certain circumstances that required me to do so."

"What would those circumstances be," Ed asked.

"This," Roy answered as he handed Ed a letter.

Taking the letter, Ed unfolded it and began to read.

--

Dearest Edward,

I am so sorry that I couldn't stick around after our little meeting. I hope you enjoyed the gift I left for you.

It is such a shame about your brother and your girlfriend. Like I told you though, they wouldn't get away.

I know your still wondering who I am, and again I will tell you.

I am you.

That is all you need to know. I will be in touch. We still have unfinished business to attend to.

Sincerely,

Your Friend

--

"What kind of sick joke is this Colonel," Ed asked, after reading the letter.

"I am afraid Edward that I need you to tell me everything that happened that day."

"No," Ed whispered. He looked to the ground in fear of the emotion that now shown in his eyes.

"I know it is hard," Roy began.

"No you don't," Ed yelled, looking into Roy's eyes. "You don't know what it is like."

Roy was at a loss for words. The look on Ed's face was one of pure anguish.

"No one knows," Ed said. In the distance the sound of thunder echoed. It seems another storm was headed their way.

--

Author's Notes: All right! Another chapter done. Please review if you have time. Thanks for reading. (Also any mistakes are my own. I think I might try to find a beta reader. I have never had one before. If anyone is interested, and has beta read before you can email me at .)


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